"The Japanese bombs did tremendous damage to the immediate
strength of America’s Pacific airpower, as well as her Pacific
sea power, which was based upon Pearl Harbor," a British
Movietone narrator says over footage taken just hours after the
onslaught, which you can see below.

In addition to the thousands killed, the attack destroyed
aircraft and airfields and sank four battleships, among them the
USS Arizona, where a bomb struck an ammunition magazine at the
front of the ship, sending it up in a mighty conflagration that
burned for days.

At the same time as Pearl Harbor was struck, Japan attacked the Philippines and Wake and Guam,
two US islands in the Pacific.

"Yet even on the day of disaster, American sea power began the
process of recovery," the Movietone narrator continues.

An
undamaged cruiser steams out of Pearl Harbor hours after the
Japanese attack on December 7, 1941.British
Movietone